Good Morning everyone,
I pray that you've had a great weekend and are looking forward to a successful work week. You know sometimes it is easy to forget how much of a blessing our jobs are. If you've ever been unemployed for a period of time you can identify with how it is to need work and not have it. You probably prayed prayers in that time period asking God to open the door for you. You may have prayed things like "God, I don't care what it is. I just want to be in your will." Sound familiar?
Well if you've ever prayed that, then the next part of the Lord's prayer is for you: "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven." What exactly does this mean? I know he is king in heaven, but does he really care about what I do on earth? I believe he does. In fact Ecclesiastes 9:10 says, "whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might." Collosians 3:23 tells us to do whatever we do "heartily as to the Lord, and not unto men." Whatever I am doing today, whether church work, school, or my secular job I should do it as a praise unto God.
He gave me this day. How I spend it is my gift to him. I may not have much control over what I'm asked to do today. But whatever it is, I will consider it God's will for my life and I will endeavor to do it with a cheerful spirit. Much of life is about the mundane, ordinary task that we must do. It might be laundry for a stay-at-home mom or filing reports for a working person. The exciting things come less frequently but are no more important. If not for our faithfulness in doing the mundane the exciting would not be possible. Whatever your task today, let it be your offering to God. Consider it his will for you. Do it with a cheerful spirit. It will make all the difference.
Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven ....
11/5/12
Hallowed be thy Name
Good Morning everyone,
It is a rainy morning here in Jackson, MS and I'm thankful to be inside where it is warm and dry. I woke up this morning with a praise chorus running through my mind. It says in part "I'm gonna praise my Jesus 'till the walls come down. I know there's victory behind my praise. I'm gonna dance my troubles away." Then I began to think about the next part of the Lord's prayer. "Hallowed be thy name".
This is the part of the prayer where we began to thank God for his blessings. And even more so, we worship him for being who he is in our lives. He is such a constant friend and comforter. He is always right there no matter what we need. Praise and worship will take us into the presence of God quicker than anything else. In fact, to come near him we must acknowledge him, not only as saviour, but as king and Lord.
It is not just a cliche. Praise is the gateway into God's presence. If you are feeling low today just began to contemplate God's goodness. Ask him to give you a renewed appreciation for his grace and mercy. Find SOMETHING to praise him about. It will make all the difference.
HOLY IS HIS NAME!
It is a rainy morning here in Jackson, MS and I'm thankful to be inside where it is warm and dry. I woke up this morning with a praise chorus running through my mind. It says in part "I'm gonna praise my Jesus 'till the walls come down. I know there's victory behind my praise. I'm gonna dance my troubles away." Then I began to think about the next part of the Lord's prayer. "Hallowed be thy name".
This is the part of the prayer where we began to thank God for his blessings. And even more so, we worship him for being who he is in our lives. He is such a constant friend and comforter. He is always right there no matter what we need. Praise and worship will take us into the presence of God quicker than anything else. In fact, to come near him we must acknowledge him, not only as saviour, but as king and Lord.
It is not just a cliche. Praise is the gateway into God's presence. If you are feeling low today just began to contemplate God's goodness. Ask him to give you a renewed appreciation for his grace and mercy. Find SOMETHING to praise him about. It will make all the difference.
HOLY IS HIS NAME!
10/29/12
A Heavenly Father ...
October 29, 2012
Good Afternoon everyone,
Here is the next portion of my thoughts on the Lord's prayer. I hope you enjoy it.
Our Father which art in heaven .....
How often do we open prayer with Dear Heavenly Father . . . I know for me it can become just a ritual but He really is a HEAVENLY father. The Apostol Paul spoke of this in Hebrew 12:9: "we have had fleshly fathers and they corrected us". But God is not like an earthly father. He is so much bigger than the best father among us. He truly sits up high and looks down low as the song says. Isaiah 40:22 says that he sits enthroned above the circle of the earth. From that vantage point he can see the past, present, and future all at once. He can judge situations and make decisions that we can not. He can tell us what to do about situations that we would never be able to figure out alone. He is truly above all.
Psalm chapter 50 and verse 21 gives a warning to those who would think that God is like us. God says that he will set our thinking straight (paraphrase). His ways are so much higher than our ways and his thoughts are not our thoughts. When we come to him in prayer and acknowledge that he is a HEAVENLY father it makes all the difference in our frame of mind. It is so much easier to leave our problems and concerns in the hands of a God such as He. Our God reigns on high, Hallelujah!
Sincerely,
Rev. Sullivan Jones
Good Afternoon everyone,
Here is the next portion of my thoughts on the Lord's prayer. I hope you enjoy it.
Our Father which art in heaven .....
How often do we open prayer with Dear Heavenly Father . . . I know for me it can become just a ritual but He really is a HEAVENLY father. The Apostol Paul spoke of this in Hebrew 12:9: "we have had fleshly fathers and they corrected us". But God is not like an earthly father. He is so much bigger than the best father among us. He truly sits up high and looks down low as the song says. Isaiah 40:22 says that he sits enthroned above the circle of the earth. From that vantage point he can see the past, present, and future all at once. He can judge situations and make decisions that we can not. He can tell us what to do about situations that we would never be able to figure out alone. He is truly above all.
Psalm chapter 50 and verse 21 gives a warning to those who would think that God is like us. God says that he will set our thinking straight (paraphrase). His ways are so much higher than our ways and his thoughts are not our thoughts. When we come to him in prayer and acknowledge that he is a HEAVENLY father it makes all the difference in our frame of mind. It is so much easier to leave our problems and concerns in the hands of a God such as He. Our God reigns on high, Hallelujah!
Sincerely,
Rev. Sullivan Jones
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